Amidst the ruins of the Imperial Capital, a streak of light pierced the sky, burning with Xiao Han's life and soul.
With each swing of Xiao Han's arm, an energy node of the "Blood Spirit Ten Thousand Gu Insect Formation" exploded, turning into a sky full of blood-red dust.
Behind him, the Blood Young Master and three Martial King Elders relentlessly pursued him, their murderous aura surging and their attacks ferocious, carving deep abysses in their wake.
Boom!
Xiao Han detonated yet another key element of the formation.
He staggered, a tearing pain shooting through his soul, and the scene before him began to distort and darken.
The Blood Soul Curse Mark activated, frantically devouring his soul essence with insatiable greed.
Crimson blood flowed uncontrollably from his seven orifices, and his vision gradually blurred.
The immense power brought by the Heroic Soul Resonance was rapidly flowing out of his body.
"You little bastard! You can't escape!"
The Blood Young Master's face was contorted with rage as he watched helplessly as the grand formation he had painstakingly built was destroyed one after another, driving him to the brink of madness.
He bit his tongue sharply, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and roared fiercely, "Blood Escape Without a Trace!"
His speed increased dramatically, his figure transforming into a blurry streak of blood, nearly grabbing Xiao Han's clothes several times.
Vicious curses echoed incessantly, disturbing the mind.
Xiao Han ignored this.
With the blessing of countless heroic spirits' wills, the Void-Piercing Divine Eyes pierced through layers of blood mist and energy turbulence, finally locking onto a location—the underground of the central square of the Imperial Capital!
A massive blood pool altar appeared, its blood energy soaring into the sky—the very core and most malevolent source of energy fluctuations within the entire formation!
"That's it!"
Xiao Han's mind raced. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately changed direction, charging headlong into the core with a fierce and relentless momentum.
However, as soon as he approached the central square, a suffocating and terrifying pressure rushed towards him.
At the underground entrance to the plaza, several powerful members of the Blood Fiend Hall stood prominently, their auras far surpassing that of ordinary late-stage Martial Kings.
In the center of these people stood an old man dressed in a dark red brocade robe, his face withered, and a bloodlust flickering in his eyes as they opened and closed.
His aura was profound and oppressive, revealing him to be a genuine Martial Emperor Realm Initial Stage!
This person was none other than the Blood Fiend Hall's deputy leader who had once hunted down Xiao Han!
At this moment, with the help of the great formation, his aura was even more terrifying and solid than when they last met!
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, you little beast." The deputy hall master's hoarse voice rang out, icy cold and full of killing intent.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Imperial Capital, Su Linglong handed the weakened Lin Qingxia over to the elders of the Su Family. With tears in her eyes, she resolutely led the elite of the Su Family, following the battle traces left by Xiao Han, and quickly pursued them.
However, halfway there, a sinister laugh rang out, and another Blood Fiend Hall Martial King Realm expert led a large group of black-clad assassins, surrounding them like a tide.
"Little girl from the Su Family, you want to save your lover? Get past us first!" A fierce battle erupted instantly. Su Linglong's Extreme Ice Phoenix Martial Soul unleashed a bone-chilling coldness, yet she still teetered on the brink of death amidst the overwhelming attacks, and her shoulder was quickly stained with a striking crimson.
Xiao Han was unaware of Su Linglong's perilous situation; he had already rushed into the inescapable trap set by the Blood Fiend Hall.
The moment they stepped into the core area, devastating attacks surged in from all directions.
He roared, forcibly squeezing out the last few strands of "Heroic Soul Resonance" power within his body Chaos Green Lotus and the Eternal Night Void Emperor Martial Souls dimmed, yet still unleashed astonishing combat power. He alternated between using the "Annihilation Divine Fist" and the "Green Lotus Sword Song," each strike delivered with all his might.
"Pfft!" A Blood Fiend Hall elder at the Martial King Realm Seventh Layer was unable to dodge in time and had half of his body shattered by Xiao Han's punch. He screamed and flew backward. But more attacks landed on Xiao Han. The protective spiritual light on his body shattered inch by inch, and his tough body was also covered with deep wounds that revealed the bone. Blood instantly stained his clothes red.
He was like a small boat in a storm, swaying precariously, yet fighting to the death!
[Ding! Host detected as being in a hopeless situation. God-Level Choice activated!]
The system's cold, familiar notification sound rang in Xiao Han's mind, which was on the verge of collapse.
[Option A: Sacrifice the remnants of souls, perish together! The host will actively detonate the will of all remaining heroic souls and a portion of their own soul essence, gaining supreme power that instantly surpasses that of Martial Emperor, forcibly destroying the core array eye. Cost: The soul will suffer permanent, irreversible damage, with no chance of survival! Reward: [Savior) ] title (When worn, increases damage to evil faction creatures by 50%, increases healing effect on friendly units by 30%, has a very low probability of triggering 'Blessing of All Living Beings,' granting immunity to one fatal attack, limited to the Martial Emperor Realm and below), [Random Divine-level Technique Fragment *3]]
[Option B: Abandon the array's core and break out in defeat! The host can use their last remaining strength to forcibly tear through the encirclement and escape. Cost: The Imperial Capital will be completely destroyed, and the host will bear endless infamy and inner demons. Reward: [Survivor] title (when worn, escape speed is increased by 20%, and there is a certain probability of misleading enemies when being chased), [Life-Saving Substitute Talisman *1] (can be used to substitute for death once, limited to the Martial Emperor Realm and below).]
Xiao Han's gaze swept across the devastated capital, Imperial Capital of carnage and rivers of blood. He seemed to see countless innocent lives wailing in the blood-soaked battlefield, and he seemed to see Su Linglong's frail figure on the distant horizon, battling through the blood and gradually weakening. A fleeting tenderness flashed in his eyes, which were slightly unfocused due to blood loss, before transforming into a madness and determination that would burn everything to the ground!
"I... choose A!" A hoarse roar, like the mournful cry of a wounded lone wolf, echoed through the sky!
"Boom--!" Xiao Han took the initiative to open his divine soul, guiding all the remaining heroic spirits and wills within his body, along with his own burning soul essence, to frantically pour into his Twin Martial Souls!
At this moment, his aura surged like a volcanic eruption in an inconceivable way, instantly breaking through the shackles of the Martial King and reaching an indescribable and terrifying level— the Pseudo-Martial Emperor Realm!
On the petals of the Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul, every pattern shone with a sacred and tragic radiance; the phantom of the Eternal Night Void Emperor almost solidified at this moment, and his eyes, which looked down upon all living beings, were filled with endless majesty and annihilation!
Xiao Han slowly raised his right hand, all his power, all his insights, all his resentment and anger, all his protection and determination, all converged at his fingertips! A chaotic radiance, fused with cyan, black, gold, blue, and countless heroic spirits, condensed, compressed, and spun at his fingertips!
"All living beings perish... Chaos Return to the Ruins!"
One finger pointing!
There was no earth-shattering display, only a chaotic beam of light that seemed capable of devouring everything and freezing time and space, shooting straight towards the very core of the blood pool altar at a speed beyond comprehension!
"No! Stop him!" For the first time, a look of utter horror appeared on the withered face of the Blood Fiend Hall's deputy leader.
He sensed a deadly crisis that threatened his life, and roared as he pushed all his blood energy to its limit. A pillar of blood, condensed to its extreme and seemingly capable of piercing through heaven and earth, shot up from above his head and fiercely met the chaotic beam of light!